Device for combined repeating or straight rolling



Aug. 19, 1958 E. T. PETERSON 2,347,887

DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING OR STRAIGHT ROLLING Filed Feb. 8, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 y j INVENTOR Edward 7:1 6 fifnswz q- (Q!!! in- ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1958 E. T. PETERSON 2,847,887

DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING R STRAIGHT ROLLING Filed Feb. 8, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 III, 1

INVENTOR I fall/uni Z'Peferswz i I BY Aug. 19, 1958 E. T. PETERSON 2,847,887

DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING OR STRAIGHT ROLLING Filed Feb. 8, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE TOR Edward 7. K? 67'0"070 ATTORNE Aug. 19, 1958 E. T. PETERSON 3 3 DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING OR STRAIGHT ROLLING Filed Feb. s, 1955.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR biz ward 7. Fe fanfare- Q ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1958 E. "r. PETERSON 2,847;887

DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING OR STRAIGHT ROLLING Filed Feb. 8, 1955- 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v lNV NTOR [1 yard 7. Fe $2110 ATTORNEYS- United States Patent DEVICE FOR COMBINED REPEATING 0R STRAIGHT ROLLING Edward T. Peterson, Reading, Pa., assignor to Birdsboro Steel Foundry and Machine Company, Dover, Del.

Application February 8, 1955, Serial No. 486,817 2 Claims. (Cl. 80-52) The present invention relates to combinations of rolling mill repeaters which provide for reversal of stock from one roll stand to the next, with troughs associated with and movable with the repeaters, so that change-over can be made very quickly from reversal of small gauge stock by the repeaters to reversal of straight stock by the troughs operating with a transfer.

A purpose of the invention is to avoid the delay and downtime which has been previously incident to removal of repeaters from a rolling mill, especially a bar mill, andkthe installation of mechanism for reversing straight stoc A further purpose is to provide cross troughs on the repeaters themselves to permit straight stock to be guided by the cross troughs when the repeaters are moved laterally to a proper position to align the cross troughs with the center line of the roll stand.

A further purpose is to equip a rolling mill with a repeater having a U-shaped repeater trough adapted to receive work from one mill stand and reverse it and deliver it to another mill stand, along with means for shifting the repeater laterally, and transfer mechanism for straight stock including a cross trough extending across the repeater trough and adapted to communicate with one of the mill stands when the repeater shifts laterally.

A further purpose is to provide a cross trough which aligns in one position with the output side of one roll stand and to mount a bar turner movable with the repeater which in the one position aligns with the input side of another roll stand.

A further purpose is to provide a cross trough which in one position aligns with the input side of one roll stand, and in combination with a trough movable with the repeater which in the one position aligns with the output side of another roll stand, and also in combination with a bar turner movable with the repeater which in the one position aligns with the input side of the one roll stand.

A further purpose is to provide fillers for the. repeater trough at the cross trough.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention appears, selecting the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary partial diagrammatic top plan View of a rolling mill showing various roll stands and repeaters with cross troughs.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan View of one of the repeaters of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 2, modified to show fillers in the repeater troughs.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing one of the repeaters in phantom and showing the hydraulic mechanism below the repeater.

Figure 6. is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the re- 2,847,887 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 peater and the hydraulic operating mechanism in front elevation.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 in section on the line 7-7.

Figure 8 is atop plan view showing a modification, with the troughs in full line and the repeater and cross trough in phantom.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a further modification illustrating one mill stand.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In modern bar mills for rolling steel stock and similar metallic stock, there is an increasing requirement to roll alternately small sizes which can be conveniently repeated by conventional repeaters, and also to roll large sizes which cannot be conveniently repeated by repeaters but which must be run out straight on tables to transfer laterally to the next pass. Conventional practice has been heretofore to remove the repeaters bodily when straight work is to be run out and handled by transfer and then to put them back when work which is capable of being repeated isto be run. This involves a considerable amount of downtime of the mill, especially if frequent changes are to be made due to relatively short runs in the rolling cycle. 4 The present invention is concerned with the elimination of downtime of the mill, and facilitation of changeover from the use of repeaters to the use of table transfers or the like.

In accordance with the invention the repeaters carry cross troughs which can be used to guide straight stock or work to the transfers, and the repeaters are bodily movable laterally on ways to bring the repeater grooves into line with the proper groove in the roll stand in one position, and to bring the cross trough into line with the proper roll groove in another position.

In the, preferred embodiment of the invention, the repeaters carry with them bar turners which can be used to turn the bar when table transfers are used.

Considering now the drawings in detail, I illustrate in Figure l a rolling mill comprising roll stands 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 arranged conventionally, for example in a staggered arrangement as illustrated. The Work passes on a pass line 26 to repeater 27 and there is reversed to enter at pass line 28 on roll stand 21. The work leaving on pass line 28 enters repeater 30 and is reversed and then enters roll stand 22 on pass line 31 and is carried to the repeater 32 where it is reversed and enters roll stand 23 on pass line 33. Work leaving roll stand 23 is reversed by repeater 34 and enters roll stand 24 on pass line 35, and from roll stand 24 it is reversed by repeater 36 and enters roll stand 25 on pass line 37, then being carried from the mill to any suitable equipment such as a flying shear and cooling bed.

Each of the repeaters may be identical, except that they are opposite counterparts on opposite sides, and therefore it will suflice to describe one of the repeaters in detail.

Beneath the repeaters ways or rails 38 extend in the direction of the rolling mill roll axis, and the respective repeaters ride on the ways so that they are slidable bodily to bring them into proper alignment. The repeaters shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive are double trough repeaters having upwardly open U-shaped troughs 40 and 41 so that they can handle two separate strands of work at the same time. Except as modified in accordance with the invention, the repeaters can be conventional asv shown.

In accordance with the present invention each of the repeaters shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive is provided with a cross trough 44 which is generally at right angles to the axis of the rolling mill roll but here slightly inclined to cooperate better with the transfer. The cross trough 44 has side walls 45, as best seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4, and desirably extends across at a level above the rearward end of the repeater troughs, as shown in Figure 4, the repeater troughs in this case extending slightly downwardly in the U course between the entering end and exit end. Thus, when the cross troughs 44 are brought into alignment with the appropriate rolling mill stand, the work extends through the cross trough and above the repeater troughs. To avoid the possibility of the end of the stock catching in one of the repeater troughs, fillers 46 are inserted in the repeater troughs at positions in line with the cross troughs when the cross troughs are being used. While the fillers may take any one of a variety of forms, it will be evident that any structure which provides a smooth top surface for the work will be satisfactory. Fillers may be held in place in any desired manner as by bolts, not shown.

Considering now the structure of Figure 1, if the work is to be handled as straight stock, each of the repeaters is moved bodily to bring the appropriate cross trough into line with the center of the appropriate pass line. A table transfer of suitable type is provided at 47 behind each repeater lined up properly for operation when the repeaters are moved to bring their cross troughs into alignment. Likewise each of the repeaters in the preferred embodiment carries with it suitably at one side a bar turner 48 of any suitable character, which may be of the character of Peterson U. S. Patent 2,632,346, granted March 24, 1953, for Bar Turning Device.

The transfer table may be a table employing a lateral chain transfer as in Morgan U. S. Patent 2,392,334, or it may be a skew table as in Morgan U. S. Patent 2,340,984. I preferably used a table having a sweep side guide of the character of that of my U. S. patent application Serial No. 479,927, filed January 5, 1955, for Rolling Mill- Transfer.

The first table roller is illustrated at 50 and the work is carried down the table, moved laterally to the proper position, and then carried back to the next roll stand.

The mechanism for moving the repeaters may be of any suitable character, but is conventionally illustrated in Figures to 7.

Each of the repeaters on its lower side carries a bracket 51 which pivotally connects at 52 with piston rod 53 of hydraulic cylinder 54 which is pivoted on trunnion bearings 55 mounted on the frame. The cylinder 54 is desirably double-acting and connected by piping 56 and 57 at the two ends to valve 58 which controls application of a source of hydraulic fluid to one end or the other of the cylinder, and application of exhaust to the opposite end, to manipulate the repeater so as to bring it into alignment for use as a repeater or to bring the cross trough into alignment.

In operation of the form of Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, with the repeaters lined up as shown in Figure 1, and the fillers removed from the repeater troughs, the equipment is in condition to operate on small bars using the repeater.

When it is desired to shift over to operate on large bars using the table transfer, each of the repeaters is moved longitudinally by the hydraulic mechanism of Figures 5 to 7 to the dot-and-dash position 27 shown at the upper left in Figure 1, bringing the cross trough into line with the center of the roll pass. Thus work from the roll pass on centerline 26 passes straight through cross trough 44' to table transfer 47' and is there moved laterally and passes back to the roll pass 21 on pass line 28 through bar turner 48', which turns the work on its own axis. From roll pass 21 it passes through cross trough 44 to table transfer 47 and then is moved transversely and sent back through bar turner 48 to enter roll pass 22 on pass line 31 and then go straight through cross trough 44 to enter table transfer 47 The work is then moved laterally on table transfer 47 and taken back through bar turner 48 to enter roll stand 23 on pass line 33. The work then passes straight through cross trough 44 to table transfer 47 where it is moved laterally and returned through bar turner 48 to enter roll stand 24 on pass line 35. The work then passes straight through cross trough 44 to table transfer 47 where it is moved transversely and sent back through bar turner 48 to enter roll pass on pass line 37. Each bar turner turns the work on its own axis.

It will be evident that suitable connecting troughs will be used to the repeater and to the cross trough as required. Figure 8 illustrates the repeater 27 positioned for operation of the cross trough and bar turner. Cross trough 44 is here connected to mill stand 20 by discharge trough 60, which rests on a discharge trough extension 61 mounted on the repeater and aligned with the cross trough 44. There is a similar discharge trough extension 62 positioned suitably integral with the trough 61 at one side and connecting to the repeater which in this case has a single repeater trough 40. The trough rests in a wide mouth'portion 63 which is provided on the discharge trough extension 61. When the trough is shifted laterally a pipe is used as a guide entering at 64 in the trough extension 62.

On the input side at bar turner 48 there is an inlet trough 65 removably connected to the roll pass 21 (which in this case is on the opposite side) and inlet trough 66 is secured to the repeater in line with the repeater trough and when the repeater moves into operative position the trough 66 is brought into line with the roll pass.

As shown in Figure 9, it is sometimes desirable to reverse the procedure and to make the cross trough an inlet trough rather than a discharge trough. Here the repeater 27 is shown aligned with a mill discharge guide 67 and a discharge trough 68. An inlet trough 70 on the other side connects with the next roll pass 21. When the repeater is shifted bodily to the side a discharge trough 71 having rollers 72 driven by roller drive motors 73 is moved in line with the table transfer, and the stock comes out from the opposite side of the table transfer through cross trough 44 which in this case is an inlet trough rather than a discharge trough, and then goes through trough extension 74 provided with roller 72 driven by drive 73. It will be understood that a bar turner will desirably be used in connection with the trough extension in many cases.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rolling mill mechanism for receiving work from one roll stand and delivering it to another roll stand, a repeater having a trough adapted to receive work from one roll stand and reverse it and deliver it to another roll stand, means for shifting the repeater laterally and a cross trough extending across the repeater trough and adapted to communicate with one of the roll stands when the repeater shifts laterally.

2. Rolling mill mechanism according to claim 1, in combination with a filler plate closing the repeater trough at the cross trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,727 George Nov. 5, 1918 1,648,732 Jupp et al. Nov. 8, 1927 1,832,113 George Nov. 17, 1931 2,354,771 Peterson Aug. 1, 1944 2,680,977 Artac June 15, 1954 

